1.Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel cell in which external air is involved in an air flow within air channels installed to face fuel channels of a reaction film.
2.Background of the Invention
In general, a fuel cell is a power generating device for generating a direct current (DC) by a direct conversion of chemical energy of fuel into electrical energy. A fuel cell technology is an eco-friendly technology, having several features of high efficiency, high output, non-pollution, non-noise and modulation, by which electricity (power) and heat can be simultaneously obtained from various energy sources, such as natural gas, propane, naphtha, methanol and the like.
A micro-fuel cell, as one of various types of fuel cells includes a stack as a generation module, a fuel cartridge for driving the stack, a pump for supplying fuel/air, and a balance of plant (BOP) such as a control board for voltage conversion and various control operations. For the commercialization of the micro-fuel cell, the BOP components occupying a considerable large proportion of the volume of the fuel cell are required to be light in weight and small in size.
Also, the stack must be provided with a sufficient amount of air under appropriately maintained temperature and humidity conditions in order to achieve a smooth reaction. To this end, a blower or a compressor is employed. For satisfying the temperature and humidity conditions, a preheater, a humidifier and the like are further included in the BOP.
However, the employment of the BOP may improve the output in the stack; however, a net output of the fuel cell may rather be decreased in consideration of power consumed due to the BOP.